Artificial stem for flowers

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION IS AN ARTIFICIAL STEM FOR A FLOWER COMPRISING A STRAND OF RELATIVELY SMALL GAUGE STIFF WIRE HAVING A ROUGH TEXTURED COVERING, WHICH MAY BE OF A TESTILE MATERIAL, GLUED THERETO ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE WIRE, THE COVERED WIRE BEING THEN DOUBLED OVER TO FORM A FLOWER ENTERING TIP, AND THAT PORTION OF THE WIRE   BELOW THE FLOWER ENTERING TIP BEING TWISTED, AND COVERED WITH A STICKY SUBSTANCE SUCH AS WAX FOR ADHERENCE TO A SUPPORTING BASE, OR TO OTHER STEMS, AS IN A BOUQUET OR CORSAGE.

Jan. 12, l1971 J. s. GALLO ARTIFICIAL STEM FOR FLOWERS Filed oon. 29, 1968 United States Patent O 3,553,889 ARTIFICIAL STEM FOR FLOWERS Joseph Sabeto Gallo, 58 Peach St., Walpole, Mass. 02081 Filed Oct. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 771,500 Int. Cl. A01g 5/ 00 U.S. Cl. 47-55 2 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure of the invention is an artificial stem for a flower comprising a strand of relatively small gauge stiff wire having a rough textured covering, which may be of a textile material, glued thereto along the length of the wire, the covered kwire being then doubled over to form a flower entering tip, and that portion of the wire below the flower entering tip being twisted, and covered with a sticky substance such as wax for adherence to a supporting base, or to other stems, as in a bouquet or Corsage.

The present invention relates to an improved artificial stem for flowers.

Artificial stems for fiowers constructed of stiff wire and having a cover of a rough textured material are well known in the art, as shown in the U.S. patent to Thomas, No. 2,331,440. The prior art construction has the disadvantage that the cover tends to bunch or to be rolled back from the entering tip of the artificial stem, and further tends to unravel or fray thereby preventing the desired firm attachment of the flower to the stem.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved artificial stem for fiowers comprised of stiff Wire and a cover of a rough textured material, for example a textile material, which cannot be displaced, which will not bunch, and which does not tend to fray or unravel from the tip end.

In accordance with the invention a relatively small gauge stiff wire is employed. Glue is applied thereto, and a covering, preferably a textile material or fiber of rough texture, is wrapped about the glued wire. The wrapped wire is now bent double, so that the artificial stem will consist of two wire strands and the cover which extends along one strand to the tip and then along the other strand. The doubled over end of the wire constitutes the flower entering tip. The two Wire strands of the tip are maintained in a closely adjacent parallel position to assist the penetration of the stem tip into the base of the flower. That portion of the artificial stern below the tip is now twisted along its length forming an elongated stem, and finally a sticky substance, for example wax, may be applied along the length of the stem below the tip.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary View illustrating a first step in the manufacture of the artificial stern for flowers, in which a textile covering is wound about a small gauge stiff wire and is glued thereto;

FIG. 2 illustrates a further step of the manufacturing operation in which the covered wire is bent double, the two strands of the tip being located in a pressed together relation;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the artificial stem for fiowers in its finished form, in which the two covered strands of wire forming that portion of the stem below the tip are twisted together, and are covered with a sticky substance such as wax; and

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the artificial stem for owers in use with a flower mounted on the Stein tip,

Patented Jan. 12, 1971 ICC and with the lower end of the stem embedded in a bed of foam.

The improved artificial stem for flowers illustrated in the drawing comprises a small gauge stiff wire 10 which is given a coat of glue and is wound with a textile covering of rough texture 12, which may be string, fiber or the like as shown in the drawing. The requisite length of wound wire to make up a finished artificial stem is now doubled over at its mid point, care being taken to press the two legs of the tip portion firmly together as shown at 14 in FIG. 2. Finally, the covered wire strands forming that portion of the stem below the tip are twisted together as shown at 16 in FIG. 3 to form the stem. The twisted portion 16 of the stem is preferably covered with a sticky substance such as wax between points A and B (see FIG. 3) which will cause the stem to adhere to a foam base, or alternatively to other such stems similarly treated when combined in a corsage, bouquet or the like.

The artificial stem for fiowers above described is shown in FIG. 4 under conditions of -actual use. The tip 14 of the stem has been forced upwardly into the base of a flower 18. The twisted lower end of the stem has been driven into a bed of foam 20, entering the foam with a screw motion `which tends to embed the stem firmly in the foam. It will be understood that water may be added to moisten the foam, and that such moisture will tend to pass upwardly along the textile covering into the base of the flower, thus substantially extending the useful life of the bloom.

The doubling over of the wrapped and glued small gauge wire to form the tip of the artificial stern constitutes an important improvement over the prior art construction, in that a continuous wrapping is provided which extends around the tip end of the stem, and is at the same time gripped firmly `between the closely adjacent strands of wire so that the wrapping or cover will not Ebecome separated from the wire, and can not be pushed back or bunched, orI caused to unravel as the tip of the artificial stem is forced into the base of the flower. The rough textured covering, held firmly in position on the stem, becomes effective as an anchor to retain the flower on the artificial stem.

The invention having been described, what is claimed 1. An artificial stem for fiowers having, in combination, a length of relatively small gauge stiff wire, and a covering of a rough textured material adhered to said wire along the length of said wire, said length of covered wire being doubled over intermediate its length to form a multiple strand artificial stem with portions of said Iwire at each side of and immediately adjacent the bend held in a parallel, pressed together relation to form a flower entering tip, and with portions of said covering disposed between said wire strands firmly held by said pressed together portions, and with the remaining portions of said covered wires below the fiower entering tip twisted together to form a length of said stern.

2. An artificial stem for flowers as claimed in claim 1, in which a wax is applied to the artificial stern along the length of the twisted together covered wires.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 174,636 2/1930 Crockett 47-55UX 2,331,440 10/1943 Thomas 47-55 3,416,539 12/1968 Sharpe 131-245 ROBERT E. BAGWI'LL, Primary Examiner 

